With each passing second, Jack was getting closer and closer to the Deaths' hideout in the cave. The gunshots in the background were like a neverending storm. Even the loudest thunder would never be able to create an atmosphere as dreadful as this one. A slight smile was decorating Jack's face. Even though I didn't die with one shot, he knew that the Gunslinger would never be able to lose against someone with such little experience. Everything was going perfectly according to his plan.

"What is that?" White asked as soon as they left the cave.

"Sounds like gunshots," Beast answered her question. His mask changed and was now displaying a yellow demonic face full of fear and worry.

"Calm down you two, there's probably just another fight going on in the town, nothing to be too worried about," Garry tried to bring a bit more optimism into the conversation.

"Another fight? No, this is different." White was simply too smart to let such a simple thought fool her into a false sense of safety.

"I agree with her. Something of this frequency would suggest they have at least a minigun, but it's too inconsistent for that."

"So, what do we do?" Garry asked.

"The only thing we can. We'll go to the town and see what's going on. I just hope Eddie is safe." White didn't even wait for others to join her before she headed out towards the city. The other two exchanged a shrug and quickly went to accompany her.

Their trip to Sunwalley, however, was very quickly canceled. Right in front of them, on that rocky road leading up the hills, stood a man. He looked like a character somebody took from a game of Monopoly. He had a very thick noble mustache, black beret, and a jacket, as well as dark brown trousers. His shoes looked like those you'd usually find near a suit at some official event. A golden chain was going from under his jacket and into his left pocket. He was holding a rather stylish cane, but it didn't seem like he was leaning against it.

"Umm... Hello?" White tried to greet the man.

"My greetings. Saying that I am surprised to find you here would be a lie that would not suit someone like me." His words surprised almost all the Deaths. The only one who didn't get caught off guard was Beast.

"You came here for us?" he asked and stepped forward. His mask turned into a red face of an oni, taken right from the often horrifying Japanese paintings.

"That is quite so, I am afraid. But do not worry, there shall be a dance before your departure to the other world. After all, you are one of the most powerful creatures of the old world. It is not every day one gets to test his strength against someone like you."

"The old world?" Garry was confused by Jack's statement.

"Yes. This world is now without God. Without someone to nourish it with their mind. Therefore, it is time for a change. A new God. And a new world."

"Eddie is here. He will nourish this world," White argumented. A smirk appeared on Jack's face.

"Edward? Heh, do you hear that?" He pointed towards the town with his cane. "That is the sound of a person dying. Unfortunately, your God will not be here for long. And once he is out of the way, my master will take his place."

A confident smile appeared on Beast's mask. "Those sounds? That is not Death. That is not how we operate. Dying is silent. What you can hear from that place, is a man fighting for what's right. As long as there are gunshots, there is Eddie. And with him, there is hope."

"Well, that is something I, unfortunately, cannot agree with. What you see as a fight is merely my dear friend playing with his prey. And your hope? You have lost all that at the moment you ran into me."

White took a step closer. "Really? What makes you think you can take on three Deaths?" Jack didn't say anything at first. He just smiled, reached into his pocket, and pulled out his pocket watch.

"Because I already killed one."

Chills ran down the spine of the white Death. The man... he was gone. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared and was now whispering in her ear. Garry was the first one to notice him. Soon afterward, a ray of light almost took Jack's head off, before he disappeared yet again. He was now standing back near the cave where the Deaths used to stay.

"So... you're the one who killed Uni?" Beast asked and walked towards Jack. His mask went blank and a few tiny cracks started to appear on it.

"Oh, shit..." The phrase escaped Garry's mouth.

"Uni? Are you perhaps talking about that big worm? I am sorry, we did not get to introductions. My task was to kill him and so I did. I assure you though, he did not suffer. The whole ordeal was rather quick. I even made it in time for lunch at the saloon."

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Beast's mask cracked and opened, revealing a mouth filled with rows upon rows of sharp teeth. The previously white shell turned black and two yellow eyes with very narrow pupils appeared on it. Swirling dark flames enveloped Beast's arms and legs.

"Oh damn, we're really doing this?" Garry stretched his back and joined his friend's side. His skinny body was now sporting a bunch of yellow glowing holes, and his expression was not far from the one you could find on Beast's mask.

Lastly, there was White. Her gown was all torn up, her gravity-defying hair was flying everywhere, and she was leaving glowing footprints wherever she went.

"Truly remarkable. Alright then. Show me what you can do." Jack lifted his cane up like a sword.

"Fine, I'll go first!" Garry put forward his hand. Beams of light flew out of the glowing holes in his arm and quickly descended upon the gentleman like a rain of heaven's wrath. Jack waited for them to get as close as possible, and then hit them all with a single swing of his cane.

"You can have them back," he mumbled as the projectiles flew right back at Garry.

Beast snapped his fingers. A wave of dark energy washed over the magic and it dissolved into a tiny cloud of dust, blown away by the wind.

"My turn." The masked Death stomped on the ground. Even though Jack was standing quite a few meters away, he could still feel the ground shaking. From under Beast's leg, several claw marks started traveling along the earth. The shallow holes left behind by the attack were emitting dark, black smoke.

To taunt the Deaths, even more, Jack closed his eyes. As each of the attacks came closer, he either moved or jumped out of the way without even looking where would the next hit come from. When the claw marks reached their target. Pitch black energy erupted from the ground and flew at least two meters into the air before falling back down. It was like several black geysers. When the last of Beast's attacks was about to strike Jack, he hit the location of the eruption with his cane. The earth around him cracked and the dark energy disappeared before it even had the chance to emerge.

"Hmm... light magic and dark magic. I can see why you two travel together. Countering both at once would really be problematic for most people."

Jack's eyes suddenly flew open even wider. He sensed White's presence at the very last moment. As he turned around, he saw her reaching for him with her hand. Parts of her body were either glowing with yellow light or were completely invisible. That caught Jack off guard. He immediately put his cane in the way of her attack. When it started turning to dust, he quickly dropped it and jumped away to put some distance between them. As far as the abilities of the Deaths went, they were all very different and unbelievably powerful.

"Ah, so you can reflect the light and make things seem invisible, I see. Light magic is fast, dark magic is powerful, and whatever you, lady, have done to my cane, is a one-hit-kill. Heh, scary. Oh, so scary. And a pretty experienced team too. Oof, this will be a challenge."

None of the Deaths responded in any other way than attacking. A portal of Light opened behind Jack. Several of Garry's projectiles flew through it at once, in a pattern that was simply impossible to dodge. Jack's eyes turned to it immediately. This wasn't a random attack. The Death behind it carefully chose the trajectory of his projectiles, so that no matter how would his enemy dodge, he'd always get hit somehow. It was simply not possible for a human to avoid everything.

"Clever! Very clever!" Jack exclaimed after some of the shots burned his shoulder and leg. "That will definitely slow me down, well done," the man applauded the Death's effort. "Fast attacks but weak power. You will wear me down, while your friends will deal the finishing blow. Hmm... so you're the support of the group."

Yet another portal appeared behind him. This time, Jack dodged out of the way much sooner, expecting something like that to happen. And then, out of nowhere appeared an arm. It was pale and had a faint glowing aura.

"Oh, that was a fake!" Jack miscalculated. The portal was only meant to push him closer to the invisible demise that awaited him nearby. White was so close. She knew that the momentum of Jack's movement would carry him right into her arms. One touch was all she needed.

*Snap!

Just before she could hit him, Jack snapped his fingers. She felt an invisible grasp tighten around her. Any attempt to move was suddenly met with no results.

"Here, have a present." In one quick motion, the man pulled a necklace with a beautiful red gem out of his pocket and put it onto her neck. He moved so fast that she couldn't even understand what happened. Everything in her body started to burn. She wished to shout and scream, but no part of her listened.

"And they will become hasty," Jack mumbled to himself. He was right. Another portal opened next to him. Both Beast and Garry wanted to save their friend, knowing far too well what could such an amulet do to her. But this was all too predictable. What came out of the portal was the masked Death, along with several glowing projectiles, which were meant to distract Jack while the reaper would take the amulet of life off of their friend.

"Got you!" Jack snapped his fingers again. Everything stopped. Both Beast and the light magic beams stood frozen in place. Garry's heart sank. Could his friends really just be defeated so easily? There was nothing he could do on his own. He had to retreat and get the others.

"Not so fast." Jack snapped for the third and final time. Everything stopped. The Deaths were not blessed by the divine creativity for the most part, so as the time in the world stopped so did Garry.

"Do you understand now? There truly was no point in this struggle. Somebody who has not taken in the Divine creativity simply cannot do a thing against time control. Now, sit tight and wait. Your friend should be done in about three minutes. Then, it will be your turn." With those words, Jack turned away from the two frozen Deaths next to him and slowly started walking towards Garry, who was further away.

White could feel the burning sensation in her body taking away her senses. She could barely hear what Jack was saying and her vision turned into one big smudge.

"Is this really the end for us?" she thought, and if it were possible, a tear would escape her eye. She already lost two of her friends, and now she was about to lose more, along with herself. That thought made her sadder than anything ever before.

"Come on Death, don't mourn for that which is not yet lost."

She felt someone's hand take the amulet off her neck. There was a sense of relief that washed over her as the grip around her body released her and she fell to the ground.

The mysterious man threw the amulet on the ground and stomped on it. The gem inside shattered into pieces.

Something like that didn't escape Jack's eyes. "Come on! That was a rare life gem!"

"Yeah, and a dangerous one," the man responded.

Jack quickly fixed his posture to his usual noble one.

"You can resist my magic? And you came here to save them? Heh, you truly are an unpredictable wildcard... Mr. Chester."